“Society is founded on values recognized by the Constitution. In the case they are denied, it makes it impossible to co-exist in society. We have to protect life at all costs, without any type of exceptions,” said Baena.

He said that a person with any type of illness has rights to life and the responsibility of the State is to guarantee the necessary support for dignity in life.

“We can’t opt for the easy way out, just to let them die. The dignified life does not mean only organic or physical conditions, it is more when the essence of humanity comes into play, love, feelings, self-realization. Moral values are the defenses of life,” said the senator.

In defense of the proposal Senator Armando Benedetti, who authored the initiative, said that in Colombia “there are minorities who don’t have religion, who believe that if life has lost dignity then it should be ended.”

“A dignified life is not when someone only breathes but when they can walk and interact with others. Life has lost dignity when someone has a terminal illness and has intense pain and scientifically cannot be saved, this person can determine that life has lost dignity and ask for euthanasia,” said Benedetti.

Benedetti made it clear that in the approval of euthanasia there couldn’t be a practice where someone in a coma was euthanized.